A number of documents in the patent literature disclose apparatuses for brewing tea. These include Mordini et al., US Patent Application Publication No. US 2001/0209151, Mordini et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,927,179, Cirigliano et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,786,136, Siemensma, U.S. Pat. No. 4,527,467, Zimmerman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,642,190, Stover, U.S. Pat. No. 4,303,525 and Pope, U.S. Pat. No. 6,250,209.
Unfortunately, improvements are still desirable, particularly in terms of convenience of use and reliable attainment of desirable temperatures.